Fallon reports reduced readmissions under senior care program

Courtesy Kristine Bostek, vice president of Senior Care Services at Fallon Health

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By Emily Micucci

Worcester-based insurer Fallon Health has released data that indicates the effectiveness of a senior care program designed to keep seniors in their homes.

According to Fallon, in 2014, participants in the Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) had fewer 30-day readmissions than seniors using nursing homes who did not participate (16 percent versus 24 percent). Participants were also most likely still living in their own homes (87 percent).

The data was released as Fallon marks the 20th anniversary of the program offered by Fallon’s Summit ElderCare program. It provides community-based medical and non-medical support to people ages 55 and older who live at home but are deemed eligible for nursing home care.

Summit ElderCare participants are overseen by a care team specializing in geriatrics, and the specialized attention may explain the relatively low hospital readmission rates, according to Fallon.

The healthcare industry at large has recognized the need for more coordination of health care services to reduce costs and improve outcomes through models like this, according to Fallon Health. State Sen. Harriette Chandler said in a statement that the program is a “much-needed answer to the lack of continuity in health care that currently exists for older adults and their families.”